e-litterae banner
Welcome Letter
News
eLearning
Links for Classicists
Specials
Pompeiiana Comic
LeaAnn A. Osburn, Executive Editor
Andrew Reinhard, Managing Editor
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
www.BOLCHAZY.com
eclassics.ning.com
Number 73, February 2010
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
 
Playing learning games in the classroom is a time-honored pedagogical tool and one which I used frequently when I was teaching. My students loved to play games and so did I. In this issue you will read about computer gaming and how it can contribute to the learning environment, to student learning styles, and to student motivation. After reading the article in this issue about an archaeological game entitled Roman Town, I now want to play this game, and you may find yourself intrigued by it also.
 
I would also like to thank the 74 people from the Latin for the New Millennium Teacher’s Lounge who completed the pacing survey about this series. Results from the survey should be available by the time the next eLitterae comes out in March.
 
LeaAnn Osburn
 
(back to the top)

PRESENTING ROMAN TOWN: THE WORLD’S ONLY ARCHAEOLOGY COMPUTER GAME FOR KIDS AGES 8 – 88
 
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is thrilled to announce its latest eLearning offering: Roman Town, a Roman archaeology game that uses real archaeological fieldwork methods and real artifacts to teach young people about ancient Roman life, art, history, and culture. Roman Town is a fun complement to any Roman History or Latin curriculum. 
 
Unearth the Roman town of Fossura, destroyed in 79 ce by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Who were the Romans? Here's your chance to find out. Discover buildings, ancient artifacts, priceless treasures, and even the remains of former residents.
 
Immerse yourself in ancient Roman history with 3D-rendered graphics allowing you to explore as if you were actually there. The dig is just the beginning. Reconstruct artifacts, solve the mysterious secrets about the past and discover what life was like centuries ago. Sound like fun? It's real archaeology on your computer.
 
Have all the fun of a real archaeological excavation without getting your hands dirty!
 
  •  Be an archaeologist in this immersive, hands-on learning environment
  • Experience the full excavation experience from start to finish
  • Excavate authentic artifacts
  • Bring the excavation experience into your home or classroom with 3D rendered graphics
  • Learn about Roman life from real Romans
  • Exercise puzzle skills with fun mini-games that encourage problem solving
  • Put together pots, mosaics, wall paintings, and more
  • Tour 3D-rendered Roman buildings
  • Game play focuses on development of analytical thinking
  • Introduces archaeology in a fun, manageable package
Information about daily Roman life is easily accessible through the in-game interactive encyclopedia, LEARN (Locate Engrossing And Remarkable Knowledge). Throughout Roman Town, quizzes on LEARN test players’ knowledge in a fun, engaging way, allowing players to learn at their own pace. LEARN lets kids access fun and interesting facts about Roman life. LEARN is presented for every major artifact uncovered. Players can choose to LEARN more, which takes them to related articles in the encyclopedia.
 
Roman Town is available for both single users and classes. The game aligns itself with many state standards of learning by emphasizing the significant contributions of the Romans to art, architecture, language, etc., while encouraging players to consider the similarities and differences between ancient culture and their world today.  In-game evaluations ensure a high level of fact retention, and game play emphasizes analytical thinking and problem solving. 
 
Although Roman Town is a single-player game, it can easily be adapted for group play by having students play in teams. Students in teams will take turns excavating artifacts and will work together to solve puzzles. Roman Town works particularly well in a group setting on a SMART Board: students dig with their fingers and work collaboratively in the Lab.
 
Teachers and homeschooling parents also have the option of purchasing the Educator’s Manual. This manual makes it a breeze to use Roman Town as a learning tool.  Want to teach with Roman Town but have no background in archaeology? The Educator's Manual provides valuable background information on archaeology and Roman life and contains: playing instructions, an introduction to archaeology, a comprehensive glossary, fun activities, and discussion ideas to expand your lessons.  Information in the manual is presented in an easy reading style appropriate for both kids and adults.
 
To purchase Roman Town for your child, for yourself, or for your classes, and to watch a game play video, please visit iPodius at http://ipodius.bolchazy.com/Software/RomanTown.html.
 
Roman Town, Vol. II, will be available later in 2010, with the final volume coming out in 2011.
 
ABOUT DIG-IT! GAMES:
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers partnered with Dig-It! Games in order to distribute Roman Town to its customers. Dig-It! Games is an independent computer game developer committed to creating fun, innovative games with historical themes and high educational value. At Dig-It! Games, as well as at Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, we believe that fun and learning can, and should, go hand in hand.
 
(back to the top)
iPodius is the new digital download store for Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. Download digital audio, video, and software for iPhones, iPods, MP3 players, Macs, and PCs by visiting http://ipodius.bolchazy.com. We have MP3 files available for all of our CDs. Download a handful of tracks or an entire album to build audio curricula in support of what your classes are reading. Software and MP4 videos are available, too, as is access to password-protected sites to help your students practice their Latin grammar.

New products are added regularly. Enhance your classes with these digital offerings of audio, video, and software from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers.

 Save the date! There will be a free, informational webinar on Latin for the New Millennium on March 18th, from 6-8 PM Eastern Time. Register to attend: http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html
 
By Andrew Reinhard
 
In 2008, a survey of American teenagers conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, a project of the Pew Research Center, discovered that 97% of children 12–17 play some kind of video game. 99% of the boys surveyed indicated that they are gamers while 94% of the girls said likewise. Click here to read the report. (http://tinyurl.com/6lovp6).
 
With video games present in the lives of young people, Classics teachers should become familiar with how these games can be used to either instruct or supplement Latin, Greek, mythology, ancient history, and more. The links below will serve as a starting point for learning about video games and education, both in general and for Classics:
  • The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is nearing the end of it’s five-year, $50 million digital media and learning initiative to help determine how technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. See what’s on the cutting edge of technology and learning with a focus on gaming here. (http://digitallearning.macfound.org/site/c.enJLKQNlFiG/b.2029199/k.94AC/Latest_News.htm).
  • The Education Arcade (http://www.educationarcade.org/) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explores games that promote learning through authentic and engaging play.
  • Dr. Roger Travis, Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Connecticut, is applying game theory and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) to his Classics courses. He blogs about the experience here (http://livingepic.blogspot.com/).
  • In 2009, the Department of History and Classics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU Trondheim) organized the first-ever conference on Classics and computer games. Read about the event here (http://classicscomputers.wordpress.com/). An official publication of the proceedings is forthcoming in 2010.
(back to the top)
 

 
In celebration of the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day (March 2nd), Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers invites its eLitterae subscribers to take advantage of a 50%, single-copy discount on any of our Latin Dr. Seuss titles.
 
Choose from:
 
Cattus Petasatus (The Cat in the Hat)
80 pp (2000) Hardbound ISBN 978-0-86516-471-0 $31.00  $15.50

Virent Ova! Viret Perna!!
(Green Eggs and Ham)
72 pp (2003) Hardbound ISBN 978-0-86516-555-7 $19.00 $9.50

Quomodo Invidiosulus nomine GRINCHUS Christi natalem Abrogaverit
(How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
64 pp (1989) Paperback ISBN 978-0-86516-420-8 $19.00 $9.50
Hardbound ISBN 978-0-86516-419-2 $25.00 $12.50
 
One copy, prepaid, no returns, not available to distributors. Offer expires 03/31/10.

BCP Throwback Deal of the Month

With a backlist of over 400 Classics titles, Bolchazy-Carducci has a number of old chestnuts that deserve your attention. We started offering a new monthly special on these oldies-but-goodies in January. Save a whopping 75% on a single copy of one of these titles through March 14th:
 
Caesar Completely Parsed (James B. Finch)
vi + 394 pp (2006 (reprint from 1898 Hinds & Nobel)
Paperback ISBN 978-0-86516-632-5 $47.00 $12.00

Caesar’s War in Alexandria (Gavin Townend)
vi + 66 pp (1988) Paperback ISBN 978-0-86516-219-8 $28.00 $7.00

Caesar: Invasion of Britain (C. G. Duffield, W. Welch)
xxiii + 97 pp (1884, Reprint 2000) Paperback
ISBN 978-0-86516-334-8 $21.00
$5.00
 
One copy, prepaid, no returns, not available to distributors. Offer expires 03/14/10.
 
Make sure you mention that you are an eLitterae subscriber if you place your order by phone or fax. If you place your order via the Bolchazy-Carducci web site at www.BOLCHAZY.com, your discount price will be relfected in your online invoice.
 
 
 
Comic from When In Rome, Best Cartoons of Pompeiiana Newsletter.

Comic a Day
Pompeiiana Blog
 
(back to the top)
 
Bolchazy-Carducci Mission Statement
See the Bolchazy-Carducci web site for classroom tips on teaching Catullus and on using children's books translated into Latin, Christmas carols in Latin, and Latin proverbs to teach grammar. In the search box, type "teaching tips" to see all that are available (click on a title to view and click on the teaching tip link).
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers Affiliate Web Sites

 
(back to the top)
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers • 1570 Baskin Road • Mundelein • IL • 60060

Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Preferences | Send to a Friend | Report Spam
 del.icio.us    Digg    reddit    Facebook    StumbleUpon    Twitter  MySpace